Y&RWorldTurner

BTW, some are now saying that Charlie Slater doesn't leave until the end of the year.

More pics and details of the Vic fire. Again, if you don't want to be spoiled don't look/read. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a269244/pictures-the-vic-is-set-on-fire-in-enders.html

According to Keith Duffy, they're doing a live episode for the 50th anniversary in December. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a269430/duffy-corrie-will-go-live-for-50th.html

Did you happen to watch the brief teaser clip from BBC4 that dannigold posted in the EastEnders thread? You hear Jessie in her Manchester-based accent, and the guy that plays Tony Warren. 4:40 in, just click on the link on the right side that starts with "watch the showreel." http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/08_august/25/bbcfour.shtml

I would like it if they brought in another gay couple or a few gay characters, but don't tie them in with Christian/Syed. They can interact, but be in their own sphere. In many ways Todd/Karl was what they wanted with Christian/Syed and just couldn't do, which is a shame, since Todd/Karl was like 7 years ago.

Yeah, that was the only real moment they had together during that time, and it was nothing really deep. There was still so much left to explore there, but Sharon and Grant rarely interacted at this time. Wasn't there a scene soon after this where he was watching Amira and Syed have sex or listening to them in the other room and getting some type of sick satisfaction out of it? That whole thing really bothered me and made me really look down on the Christian character. The Santer era seemed to be a big fan of the "Will they or won't they" bull. Stacey/Bradley and even Christian/Syed are also example of this. All of these characters suffered in the long run because of it. I never genuinely bought into any of these couples. It's only recently that I've come to like Ronnie and Jack, mainly because they appear to be more real and less mechanical lately. With the show having both Kirkwood and Daran Little there, I kind of wish they would create more gay characters and relationships. Little was respinsbile for Todd/Karl at Corrie, right? They have an opportunity to show viewers that gay characters can be complicated, have chemistry, have legitimate problems, and deal with them by showing and not telling us. Though, I suspect if they introduce more gay characters some would complain that the show is pushing some sort of gay agenda.

Grant sets fire to the Vic, with Sharon trapped inside. The first fire at the Vic. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mZgXL_94sE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mZgXL_94sE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mZgXL_94sE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> I always wondered why the show never did much with Sharon and Grant when they were both on the show in 2004. I know 9 years had passed, but Sharon and Grant still had some unfinished business left to explore, but they just brushed over it.

New character: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s14/neighbours/scoop/a269105/time-to-meet-a-neighbours-newcomer.html

I really don't know how else to describe a man who is using his so-called friend and teaching her sex techniques to get her husband interested and to get closer to him, while he gets some sick pleasure out of it. I have no issues going on there, false assumption, if you chose to believe otherwise, that is your issue. Just stating what I think in relation to what you posted. No need for the condescending attitude, when you clearly did not read my explanation in relation to the character. I did not find either Todd or Karl to exhibit such damaging traits on Coronation Street, nor with Craig/John Paul on Hollyoaks. John Paul certainly wasn't teaching Sarah about how she could make love to Craig, and secretly getting pleasure out of it, nor was Karl doing the same in relation to Sarah/Todd's relationship. Todd and Karl were especially better developed gay characters than what I've seen on any soap recently. And you have every right to like him, I just needed to hear why you think he was not one of the poorly drawn characters you talked about. Because, as I said, I don't feel like I know anything about the character under the surface. Hearing from the other side of the argument might make me understand the character better.

My problem with Christian is that I don't know who he is and where he fits in. You never see him interact with Jane much, and when he does, their bond is not easy for me to buy. For example, he went months without ever sharing a scene with her, and then all of sudden, when he was gay bashed, they had Jane screaming at Masood and everyone else about what an injustice it was and how Christian was such a lovely soul. That's nice and she's his sister, but where was she when he was suffering for months leading up that incident? Also, he and Jane had a tumultuous relationship with Christian stealing her first closeted husband. They never play up their underlying problems in their relationship anymore. I also find it hard to buy whatever friendship he has with Roxy when they don't write for it much. For example, both Roxy and Christian spent much of 2009 and 2010 undergoing many problems, but yet, they were never there to console each other, not for months. Then suddenly, they're tacked together and Roxy thinks she knows what's best for him, or vice versa. I don't, the scenes where Christian was intentionally teaching Amira how to make love to Syed and get him horny so he could derive some sick pleasure out of it for himself screamed pervert to me. Seriously, what sicko does that? In that case, IMO, he was a bit of a pervert who was crossing the line. Intentionally working Amira to get close to Syed did Christian no favous, IMO. At the end, I think the only character that came out of that storyline with any integrity and respect was Amira. The show didn't make her some unbearable bitch, they played up her sympathy more than the gay couple involved. I don't know if that was intentional or not. When I see Christian and Syed's scenes on the show now, they feel like such an afterthought, like the show can't invest any further and they don't really want to explore them. Something about their scenes feel so tacked on, I find it hard to invest. I agree that Jack, Ronnie, Roxy, and Fatboy have had a lot work done to their development recently as characters. However, I really don't see the same being done to Christian and Syed as characters. I think the show is too afraid for some reason or another.

Behind the scenes of the DVD: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/scoop/a268393/corrie-dvd-behind-the-scenes-clip.html

DS has more background information on the fire, don't read if you don't like spoilers: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/scoop/a269109/enders-fire-barlows-twist-edale-struggle.html

You don't consider Christian "poorly drawn?" I still think he has been a bit of a caricature since his debut. They semed to initally only want him as the flashy and out and proud gay man when he first started on the show, and this the mess with Syed made him look like a perverted love sick puppy who wasn't allowed to do anything else. I'm curious to know what you like about Christian, because I struggle to find any layers to that character, same with Syed.

The week of September 6-10. The fire itself starts on Thursday September 9th.

I think Janine is the only bitch-type character without a conscience most of the time, though she does have a soft vulnerable side. I also wouldn't classify Jane, Denise, and yes Heather as typical bitch characters. Then there's a character like Kat who has so many layers and puts on a loud and proud front on the outside, when she's really a vulnerable and fragile soul on the inside. Through the show, Corrie as well, was built on edgy female characters. Though, tragic heroine characters like Sharon and Kathy have also been a big part of its foundation. Though, even Sharon had a nasty and arrogant side to her at times.

Thanks for posting. It looks like it should be a fantastically produced stunt. Some more pics of Jessie Wallace as Pat Phoneix: http://lifeofwylie.com/2010/08/26/coronation-street-birth-of-the-cobbles/ Daran Little also Tweeted about an upcoming episode he's writing with Janine, Bianca, Kat, and Alfie. I wonder if Kat and Bianca will interact. Daran knows how to write for strong bitchy women with a sense of humour.

Here are some magazine scans someone posted on Twitter with pics of the Vic on fire, and reactions from the characters: http://twitpic.com/2izpdo http://twitpic.com/2izv49

Big Stacey/Ryan/Peggy spoiler:

Yeah, it's spoken about at this Masterclass panel discussing primarily the live episode. John Yorke, Diederick Santer, and Simon Ashdown all contribute to the discussion. Simon Ashdown also says he would like to bring David Wicks back. I wouldn't be surprised if he returns in the next year... http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/s2/eastenders/news/a269100/live-eastenders-at-25-masterclass.html

Too bad Max already screwed her cousin (Stacey) and Kat is tied to Alfie. I think Jake Wood and Jessie Wallace would be electric together, Kat and Max both have openly flirty personalities with the opposite sex.

BTW - Here's a great YouTube Channel devoted only to the Slater family: http://www.youtube.com/user/Sammie1Million

Wasn't it revealed that Diane Butcher (Ricky and Janine's sister) is a lesbian? Do you think Diane and her lover would work on the show now?

Me too, I loved Matthew. So many soaps tried to have their own contemporary tart with a heart Kat Slater-type character over the past 10 years, it's funny. Kat had a huge impact on the show and soaps in general during her original 5 year run on the show. I would definitely say the McQueen's on Hollywoaks were fashioned on the Slater sisters on EastEnders. Vicky was such a lost opportunity, things got especially bad when they had her switch accents with no explanation. I think it also hurt that they couldn't bring Michelle back. If Sharon ever returns, I have a bad suspicion that they'll go back to pairing her with Phil, or if Grant returns, they'll revisit that. I don't know if I ever want to see that again. Has the show ever had a recurring supporting Oriental character? I can't recall off the top of my head, but an Oriental family would be so interesting and different from what all the other soaps are offering. Do you have any ideas for a potential new family?

Harwood also gave that crappy exit to Sharon that I posted a few days ago, in addition to killing Kathy off-screen (WTF!). Her time on the show wasn't long, but it was so damaging. To his credit, I did think Santer tried to make things more cohesive again in his first year, but I don't know if things worked out as well as he hoped. Yeah, I don't remember too many strong initial reactions to his return. I don't think they exactly knew what they were doing when they brought him back, or something just got lost in the execution. In the long run, I think his return and the way it was handled might have hurt the Watts legacy on the show, which is why I now think it was pretty unnecessary and useless. I think she was just picking up where Yorke left off with Janine, but she did seem to get that character very well, and much better than Santer did. I think if Sharon ever returns, they'll go right back to pairing her with Phil. There really is no other potential love interests left for her since Dennis' death. Letitia might have left at the right time, because I don't know if Harwood would have seen her as anything other than an afterthought in the mob drama. I think Berridge's stupid mistakes were so huge and numerous that it often took away from what good she might have contributed. Berridge also seemed to really force and push her favourite characters on the show. It seemed like Kat, Alfie, Dennis, Den, and Sharon were forced into every episode during her tenure, even when they weren't really needed there. I think Kat would have definitely had to have been watered down if Jessie hadn't left. Would you agree that she is definitively the most iconic character EastEnders created in the 00's? I don't think anyone else comes close, maybe Stacey, but every show seemed to want a Kat Slater of their own in the 00's. Kirkwood should know, both Jacqui and Mercedes McQueen seem like softcore rip-offs of Kat's many facets. Kat seems like the type of character Kirkwood would love, so I'm hoping he'll get her return right. I really do think they were setting Stacey up as Kat's successor when Kat left. There was a scene the day after Kat left where Big Mo was sad that Kat was gone and that the house would be quiet, and Sharon and Dennis were holding a boxing day party. Anyway, Stacey decides to bake a turkey, and there's so much mess around her, Little Mo insinuates that it reminds her of Kat. However, unlike Kat, I think Santer especially stripped Stacey of her fun side. <object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xcr5hb?additionalInfos=0"></param><param'>http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xcr5hb?additionalInfos=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xcr5hb?additionalInfos=0" width="480" height="360" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcr5hb_eastenders-stacey-tries-to-cook-a-t_shortfilms">EastEnders - Stacey tries to cook a turkey</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/Ryanlcfc2">Ryanlcfc2</a>. - <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us/channel/shortfilms">Classic TV and last night's shows, online.</a></i> I thought they just naturally grew tired of her and thought it was the right time to get rid of her when they killed off Steve, who I never really cared for either. Yeah, the show is still in transition and it won't really be out of it until early 2011. I wonder what type of new family he'll want to bring in. I wonder if the show will ever attempt an Oriental family? A British-Chinese family perhaps?

It's funny how they seemed to get tired of Mel after a while, and by the end of 2001, Kat had become such a popular character in her own right that whatever rivalry with Mel they might have had in mind wasn't written for. I think Mel was clearly a case, like Kara Tointon, where her looks kept her on the show for longer than she should have been. Yes. I really do wonder how Kat and Alfie will be as characters without Tony Jordan there. He was really a big part in their development, especially Kat's development, so I wonder how they'll turn out without his influence on the show. According to Jessie Wallace in 2009, this is what Tony Jordan told her what would have happened to Kat had she not left. I don't know if she was halfway joking though: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/news/a161496/soaps-greatest-lineup-revealed.html You know, I wonder how Den's return would have turned out if it happened under John Yorke and not the massively flawed and just boring Louise Berridge era. Maybe he wouldn't have brought Den back at all and fight hard against it, since it was apparently Mal Young's big idea, and Berridge happened to agree. I think the brass at the BBC now wish Den had never returned, and given the way that story played out over the long haul, I can't say I disagree. The best thing about Den's return was Chrissie and his death, IMO. John Yorke did such a fantastic job with Sharon's return in 2001, the most successful return the show has ever had IMO. None of the returns in recent years compare. The show lost something almost immediately after John Yoke stepped down, and I don't know if it's ever really gotten it back. My PBS affiliate is currently airing stuff from 2003, Berridge's first full year. The differences between her and Yorke's show is just astounding. The show just lacks the heart, creativity, and continuity that Yorke's era had. But still to this day, the show hasn't introduced a family as successful from the beginning since the Slater's, or any soap really. I really wonder when they're creating new families why they don't look at the template that worked so well a decade ago. The Masood's are a success, I guess, but they don't have the same impact the Slater's did.